Urges the Illinois Supreme Court and relevant authorities to require, as a consistent part of continuing education, LGBTQ+ and HIV cultural competency education for all attorneys, judges, and courtroom staff in the State of Illinois.
Declares March 12, 2024 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education shall create a student teaching stipend program to reduce financial barriers into the teaching profession and increase the quality of the student teaching experience in order to better prepare teaching candidates for the classroom and increase teacher retention. Provides that to participate in the stipend program, an eligible student must be placed as a student teacher. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of all eligible students who qualify for the stipend program by July 1. Provides that all eligible students shall be enrolled in the stipend program. Provides that subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible student a stipend of up to $10,000 for one academic semester, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Sets forth provisions concerning funding if the amount appropriated for the program is insufficient to fund all eligible students. Provides that subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible cooperating teacher a stipend of up to $1,500 per academic semester, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Provides that a cooperating teacher may receive professional development hours for completing cooperating teacher training that counts toward the cooperating teacher's license renewal or Gateways credential. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student or an eligible teacher from participating in the program or receiving a stipend from the program. Provides that, subject to available appropriations, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the State Board of Education shall report about and evaluate the program to the Governor and General Assembly on or before June 30, 2028 and each June 30 thereafter. Provides for rulemaking.
Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that a health insurance issuer may not require prior authorization for a prescription drug prescribed to a patient by a health care professional for 6 or more consecutive months, regardless of whether the prescription drug is a non-preferred medication pursuant to the patient's health insurance coverage; or for specified prescription drugs, including insulin, human immunodeficiency virus prevention medication; human immunodeficiency virus treatment medication; viral hepatitis medication; estrogen; and progesterone.
Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police may (rather than shall) mail verification letters to registered sex offenders. Provides that the Illinois State Police may adopt rules to allow for the use of an electronic registration portal to comply with the verification letters. Provides that the Illinois State Police may (rather than shall) mail an annual nonforwardable verification letter, beginning one year from the date of his or her last registration. Requires that registration of a sex offender shall (rather than may) include a submission of the sex offender's fingerprints and may, subject to appropriation, include the palm prints, and a current photograph of the person which shall be updated at each registration (rather than annually). Deletes a provision that the registration information must include whether the person is a sex offender as defined in the Sex Offender Community Notification Law. Provides that the registering agency shall enter the information into the Illinois State Police Sex Offender database (rather than the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS)). Provides that the Illinois State Police may, subject to appropriation for this purpose, establish an electronic registration portal to be used by sex offenders and law enforcement to comply with the Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police may, subject to appropriation for this purpose, establish an electronic registration portal to be utilized by sex offenders and law enforcement to comply with the Act. Deletes a provision that the Illinois State Police shall establish and promulgate rules and procedures regarding the administration of this Fund. Deletes a provision that 50% of the moneys in the Fund shall be allocated for sheriffs' offices and police departments and that the remaining moneys in the Fund received shall be allocated to the Illinois State Police for education and administration of the Act. Provides that moneys in the Offender Registration Fund shall be allocated pursuant to the registration and penalty provisions of the Act, respectively
Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to implement a Child Care Collaboration Program by no later than July 1, 2024 to facilitate high quality collaborative programming between child care and other early care and education providers and funding streams in order to increase, through collaboration, the quality and quantity of early care and education for families in Illinois who are eligible to receive child care assistance under the Department's Child Care Assistance Program. Provides that to be eligible to participate in the Child Care Collaboration Program a provider must meet certain eligibility requirements, including: (i) be a profit or nonprofit early childhood center or licensed family child care home; (ii) receive or be eligible to receive child care assistance funding; and (iii) be a part of an existing or pending collaborative arrangement with a Head Start or Early Head Start Program or with a pre-kindergarten program funded by the Illinois State Board of Education through the Early Childhood Block Grant. Sets forth approvable models of collaboration and application requirements for providers seeking approval of their existing or proposed child care collaboration program. Provides that each eligible provider that receives Department approval of its existing or proposed child care collaboration program shall receive an annual contract from the Department that allows for the advance payment of child care services at a rate that is based on the license capacity of the program. Provides that a family's eligibility for collaboration services under the approved child care collaboration program shall be determined in accordance with all current child care rules, with certain exceptions, including, but not limited to: (1) a family's eligibility period for collaboration services shall be up to 36 months to coincide with the family's eligibility for a Head Start or Early Head Start Program or an early childhood or preschool program funded through the Early Childhood Block Grant; and (2) no child care co-payments shall be assigned or collected from the family. Effective immediately.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that interest or other income which may be earned from moneys deposited with the Department of Juvenile Justice by a resident of the Department of Juvenile Justice shall accrue to the Residents' Benefit Fund (rather than providing that interest or other income from moneys deposited with the Department of Juvenile Justice by a resident of the Department in excess of $200 shall accrue to the individual's account, or in balances up to $200 shall accrue to the Residents' Benefit Fund).
Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a municipality shall receive a waiver from paying a required match to a State grant of State moneys if the municipality meets all the other requirements needed for approval of the grant and submits documentation to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, in a form and manner prescribed by the Office, that the municipality: (1) has a population under 25,000; (2) has over 13% of its residents under the federal poverty guidelines; (3) has had a negative fund balance within the past 5 years; or (4) has at least twice the debt compared to the retail market value of the municipality's real and personal property and moneys in the municipality's accounts. Effective July 1, 2025.
Amends the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. Provides that all higher education institutions shall include in the comprehensive policy concerning sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, information about how the higher education institution protects individuals who report from retaliation. Provides that the higher education institutions procedure for responding to a report shall also include protecting the survivor from retaliation, including a policy and process for early dismissal of any retaliatory claim by a respondent against a survivor, including, but not limited to, claims of defamation, harassment, bullying, and any other violation of policy claims where the actions alleged by the respondent are related to the survivor's report. Makes related changes in provisions concerning student notification of rights and options, confidential advisors, complaint resolution procedures, and campus training. Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Provides that a court shall not permit any person to pursue a defamation action to silence or retaliate against, a person reporting gender-based violence, including cases where the alleged perpetrator is publicly named. Provides that the exception to motions under this Act are when the acts are not genuinely aimed at procuring favorable government action, result, or outcome or when the plaintiff presents clear and convincing evidence that the reporting of gender-based violence constituted speaking with actual malice. Makes related changes.
